We’re baring all the fashion industry’s dirty details. Why?
To encourage you to cover up with ethical boxers.
And we would totally suggest buying secondhand skivvies which is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. Butt (pun intended)…most of us may be (understandably) reluctant to thrift underwear.
When used just won’t do, you can still shop sustainably by choosing sustainable boxers and briefs. Or boxer-briefs if you want the best of both.
To find the best brands, we considered fabric, ethical manufacturing, and eco business practices like reducing emissions and sustainable packaging.
Our new Brand Rating System extends this to 22 different criteria, and we’ll be using it to update all of our articles (this one included) in the next few months. To learn how this new system works, take a look at our explainer, here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
The Best Sustainable Men’s Boxers For Pro-Planet Patooties
You don’t have to ask if ASKET’s boxer briefs are sustainable. Not only are they made from 95% organic cotton, but they share full details of each pair’s CO2 impact and the percentage of the supply chain they can trace.
We’re highly impressed with WAMA’s sustainable boxers and briefs made from a hemp/organic cotton blend (with minimal spandex) in a BSCI-certified factory.
Index: Ethical & Sustainable Boxers
- MeUndies Jump to brand
- ASKET Jump to brand
- Organic Basics Jump to brand
- WAMA Jump to brand
- Pact Jump to brand
- Boody Jump to brand
- Allbirds Jump to brand
MeUndies
About MeUndies
MeUndies wants you to feel good, physically and mentally.
Based in Los Angeles, they’ve garnered a reputation for soft ethical mens underwear and boxers for every body type.
You can choose from a seemingly endless selection of goofy patterns—tie-dye to Batman to rainbow unicorns.
Setting themselves apart, their MatchMe subscription for couples makes it easy to “match your bottom half to your better half” by sending you matching pairs up to once a month.
MeUndies’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices:
Materials:
Most of these soft sustainable boxers are 92% MicroModal (sourced from beechwood) and 8% elastane.
A select few include textured nylon, recycled nylon, recycled polyamide (plastic), and spandex.
Their popping prints are the product of low-impact dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
MeUndies partners with factories in LA, Turkey, Guatemala, China, and Sri Lanka to support the global economy.
They maintain high standards for employee welfare and audit for fair wages, quality working conditions, and benefits (like free meals and transportation).
Inclusivity:
Inclusivity is the focus of MeUndies’s vision to “create a more thoughtful and accepting world where living your truth is celebrated.”
Men’s sizes range XS – 4XL and they use body inclusive models.
They collaborate with minority artists on limited edition designs for their affordable sustainable boxers.
Community & charitable giving:
Through MeUndies Gives, they partner with organizations that challenge systemic barriers, like The Body Positive, the LA LGBT Center, and the Fashion Scholarship Fund.
ASKET
About ASKET
Just because you’re taking off one of ASKET’s handcrafted sustainable belts, doesn’t mean you need to bid the brand adieu.
Especially if you’re sporting one of their ethical boxer briefs beneath.
True to ASKET’s seasonless styles, they’re available in a small selection of classic solid colors.
ASKET’s Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Men’s ethical boxer briefs are certified organic cotton with 5% elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a testament to their transparency, you can see every cent and ounce of CO2, and the manufacturing process behind their garments and sustainable accessories.
Each product page also includes a breakdown of material and labor costs.
They manufacture and source via GOTS, WRAP, SA8000, or OEKO-TEX certified entities, like the Portuguese factory behind their ethically made mens boxers.
Green business practices:
ASKET believes in taking responsibility for a product’s end of life, hence their Lifecycle program with a simple philosophy: Care. Repair. Revive.
Online guides show you how to care for and repair your clothing.
The “revive” aspect refers to their buyback program. Send your ASKET garment back, regardless of condition, and it’ll get resold, remanufactured, or recycled—in exchange for up to $25.
They promote slow fashion by not running sales and they ship using ground or sea freight in reusable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes run XS – XL.
Organic Basics
About Organic Basics
OB knows a thing or two about sleepwear and basics.
But if you specifically want ethical white boxers, Organic Basics is the place.
Organic Basic’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The affordable sustainable boxers and briefs are made from either GOTS certified organic cotton (sourced from Europe) or TENCEL™ lyocell.
Both are blended with 5% elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Organic Basics provides a breakdown (working hours, production capacity, employee benefits, and certifications) of their factories.
Employees regularly visit to speak with workers and ensure working conditions are up to standard.
Organic Basics is BSCI-compliant, PETA-approved vegan, and a member of Sedex.
Green business practices:
Organic Basics offers a carbon-neutral website and worldwide shipping thanks to investments in carbon offset programs, including the Koru Wind Farm in Turkey.
For exact numbers, see their Impact Report.
Inclusivity:
Ethnically diverse models are used to display all S-XXL sizes.
This is part of their Body Friendly Manifesto, which also has them increasing the upper limits of their size range and offering in-between sizes.
Community & charitable giving:
The Organic Basics Fund accepts proposals from environmental grassroots activists and organizations to award grants.
WAMA
About WAMA
When Shakib Nassiri founded WAMA, it was one of the few hemp clothing brands around.
Now, they’re setting a high sustainability bar with their hemp ethical boxers in nearly every basic cut and shape possible.
WAMA‘s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
WAMA’s boxers contain a blend of hemp, GOTS organic cotton, and only 3% spandex.
Unfortunately, no hemp fabric can be certified by GOTS, but theirs is grown organically.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Hemp is a “niche” crop, mostly cultivated on small family-run farms in China.
WAMA’s Chinese factory is BSCI certified and monitored for fair conditions by a China-based team member.
They’re also a Certified Green America Business and PETA-approved vegan.
WAMA’s supplier code of conduct applies to all entities in their supply chain.
Green business practices:
Your WAMA order will arrive in 100% recycled, recyclable, and reusable poly mailers, or recycled cardboard boxes.
The organic ethical boxers are wrapped in recycled tissue paper.
WAMA offers a take-back program for the hard-to-recycle underwear liner.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes range from S – 3XL.
Pact
About Pact
Boulder, Colorado brand Pact calls their collection of whole-family basics “Earth’s Favorite Clothing.”
Their mens clothing line includes sustainable briefs and boxers.
You can choose between five different cuts and various neutral solid and funky patterns—for a fun surprise when you take off your organic cotton robe.
Pact’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All Pact garments are made from GOTS certified organic long-staple (AKA soft) cotton.
Their eco-friendly briefs also contain elastane but don’t contain toxic dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Pact is Fairtrade certified and their fair trade briefs are made in India near their cotton farms.
Green business practices:
Per their impact statement, they employ water and energy-efficient production methods.
Each product page specifies both savings for that garment.
Inclusivity:
Pact’s briefs and boxers are sized S – XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Reuse the box your Pact order arrived in by filling it with old clothes, shoes, and accessories. PS: They don’t have to be Pact items.
Mail this Give Back Box back with the provided printable label and know it’ll go to charity.
Pact has featured in an article on sustainable underwear.
Boody
About Boody
Boody creates simple, everyday essentials designed for your actual boody or the rest of your body.
While originally an Australian brand, their US branch makes it easy for those seeking USA ethical boxers.
They’re available in three styles—briefs, boxers, and long boxers—in five cool neutrals.
Boody’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All ethical briefs and boxers are organic bamboo, combined with 5% spandex.
The bamboo is made in a closed-loop process (i.e. no chemicals are released into the environment) and certified by OEKO-TEX, Ecocert, FSC, and PETA.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Boody became the first Certified B Corp underwear company in the US.
They advocate for equal employment opportunity and enforce a Code of Conduct across their WRAP-certified and ISO-14001-compliant supply chain.
Green business practices:
Their product impact counters give you an indication of how much your underwear will undermine the environment (hint: minimally).
Packaging consists of recycled boxes printed with vegetable ink.
Inclusivity:
“Boody fits who you are, naturally” and boxers run S – 4XL.
Community & charitable giving:
As one of their four pillars of business, this 1% for the Planet member donates (time, money, or products) to several charities.
Boody has featured in articles on sustainable loungewear and ethical activewear.
Allbirds
About Allbirds
Based in New Zealand, Allbirds is an all-around sustainable mens fashion resource. They’ll kit you out in everything from recycled shoes to eco-friendly t-shirts.
Part of their Trino® line, they carry two styles: a trunk and a longer boxer brief.
Allbirds’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their sustainable mens trunks and boxer briefs are made of organic cotton, FSC certified TENCEL™ Lyocell, and 6% spandex.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a Certified B Corp, Allbirds is dedicated to sustainable production, with a strict Code of Conduct and factory map available online for full transparency.
All underwear is made in Nam Định, Vietnam.
Green business practices:
Allbirds is Carbon Neutral-certified, which means that the company’s carbon emissions are balanced with its carbon removal, resulting in net-zero carbon emissions.
They choose to partner with LEED-certified organizations and other eco factories that conserve water and energy during manufacturing.
They’ll ship your order in recycled cardboard and while they won’t take back your old underwear, their ReRun™ program will take any of their gently used sustainable running shoes for resale.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sustainable briefs come in sizes S – XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
If you don’t love your Allbirds sustainable sneakers (or any shoe of theirs), return them knowing they won’t become deadstock waste. Instead, they’ll be donated to Soles4Souls.
